Assailant/Guide
Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths # Arguably some of the largest combo potential in the game # Duelist role grants him excellence in one-on-one combat # Great when punishing and countering the enemy's approach # Multiple attacks with Super Armor # Passive makes it exponentially harder for the opponent to escape with every consecutive counterhit Weaknesses #Damage potential intertwined with combo potential, which can be castrated by Breakout #Duelist role restricts moveset to almost entirely single-target attacks #Weakened when forced to take an aggressive approach #Pathetic range, armed with only one projectile #Pressure game is limited to the endurance of his stamina pool Playstyle As Assailant, your main objective is to maximize the penalty of the opponent's every mistake. While Assailant's jack-of-all-trades moveset might seem like a nice safety net to blindly rush in with, he is just as vulnerable as everyone else. His rushdown potential is useful for pressuring the opponent into leaving themselves vulnerable in a panic, but not much else. Nobody is perfect -- not even you. Keep this in mind and don't overextend yourself when in combat -- instead, play footsies with the opponent and allow them to reveal their strategy to you. Then, as you predict their next move, lecture them of their folly with an elaborate and devastating punish. However, do not become timid by this and play passively, either. Any retreat on your end should merely be to catch your breath and study how the opponent approaches you. Assailant is made to be balanced. He does not specialize in either attack nor defense-- instead, his excellence lies in how well you conceal your own vulnerability (defense), and how much you expose the opponent's (offense). Moveset Universal Skills Autocombos (AC) Specials (SP) EX Specials Combos 'Bread and Butter (BnB)' 21 inputs, 520 damage, requires 1/2 bar of Heat H.AC Starter *'H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > LC > J.AC3 > SP2 > SP3 ''(456 damage)' *'^H.AC3 > SP2 > L.AC3 LC > J.AC3 > GV > ^BD (w) H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > SP3 (520 damage) '- Alternate version of the BnB. Slightly more complicated. *'H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > BD (w) slow(H.AC3 > LC > J.AC3 > SP2 > L.AC3) > BD > H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > SP3 (562 damage)' ''- Requires 2 Heat. Extended version of the BnB. Deals slightly more damage, but requires a delay of the inputs in the middle of the combo in order to stall for the 2nd Breakdown's cooldown. *'H.AC (w) H.AC2 > H.AC3 > SP4 > LC > J.AC3 > SP2 > L.AC3 > BD > H.AC3 (reverse S+V/Block) L.AC3 SP3 ''(580 damage (total))' - Deals slightly more damage than the BnB, and does not require any Heat. H.AC (w) H.AC2 is performed by landing H.AC, then attacking with H.AC2 just as they wakeup and continuing. *'H.AC (w) H.AC2 > ^H.AC3 > SP2 > L.AC3 > BD > H.AC3 > SP4 > LC > J.AC3 > SP2 > L.AC3 > BD > H.AC3 > SP4 > ^L.AC2 > JH.AC > SP8 (625 damage (total)) ''- Requires 3 Heat'. Assailant's biggest combo. LC Starter *'J.AC3 > SP2 > H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > SP3' (355 damage) *'J.AC3 > SP2 > H.AC3 > SP4 > L.AC3 > BD > H.AC3 (reverse S+V/block) L.AC3 > SP3 ''(382 damage) ''- Requires 1/2 bar of Heat'. SP1 Starter *'L.AC3 > LC > J.AC3 > SP4 > SP2 > SP3' (351 damage) 'SP2 Starter' *'H.AC3 SP4 L.AC3 LC J.AC3 SP3 ''(285 damage)' Resets 'Grounded Resets' *'...H.AC3 AD2 SP6/GB - Powerful mixup that is effective against opponents who believe the combo has dropped, or are anticipating an okizeme from the front. Can be escaped by forward rolling. **...^L.AC2 AD2 SP6/GB '- Similar to the previous reset, but instead utilizes a jump buffered L.AC2 to get into the air, allowing a faster airdash and thus a faster reset. Can be escaped by reverse backdashing. 'Aerial Resets' *'...J.AC3 AD2 SP6''' - Assailant's most common reset. Effective against opponents that block or use Assailant SP5 on wakeup. Can be escaped by airdashing on wakeup. **'...J.AC3 AD2 GB' - Second most common reset that has Super Armor and a tall hitbox, but requires 2 Heat. Effective against opponents who attack on wakeup. Can be escaped by using Assailant SP5 or using F+V on wakeup. *'...J.AC3 AD1 JH.AC > SP2' - Less common reset that requires Assailant to airstall with JH.AC in order to accurately hit the opponent with SP2 upon descent. Effective against opponents that airdash on wakeup. Can be escaped by blocking on wakeup. *'...J.AC3 AD SP8 '- Reset utilizing an EX Special that, evidently, requires 3 Heat in order to use, and also grants a free 250 damage. Effective against people who attack or backdash on wakeup. Can be escaped by blocking on wakeup. Matchups 'Assailant' See: Assailant Poetically both your best and worst matchup. An enemy Assailant is gifted with the same punishing tools that you have, making an Assailant ditto the most accurate test of how well you adhere to Assailant's philosophy of concealing your own mistakes, and exposing the opponent's. In battle, Assailants converse with one another through a game of footsies, prodding each other until one of them finally slips up. There are a wide array of answers in neutral for Assailant, but in reality most Assailants will trim their expansive possibilities down to a handful of approaches, combos and okizemes that define their playstyle. Thus, Assailant's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness, and can make him easy to predict in a ditto. Be wary, though, as if you predict the enemy enough, they might be motivated enough to adapt accordingly and respond with a mixup. 'Avalon' See: Avalon Despite being a Rushdown/Zoner hybrid, Avalon will most likely focus on only zoning you as an Assailant, harassing you with SP1 and SP4 in an attempt to frustrate you until any composure or strategy you might have had when you started dissolves completely. As Assailant, you cannot allow this to happen. Use Block, Super Armor and precarious airdashes to outlast Avalon's zoning until he grows impatient, and charges into melee range with SP2. Save your SP1 for this critical moment, as after you shut him down you can slow him down with your Passive after dishing out a quick punish following Counterhit SP1. From there, it will be easier to catch up, and you can afford to be more aggressive with combo resets and okizemes -- unless he has Breakout, Avalon will be eating dirt in no time flat. 'Kurai' See: Kurai Assailant's most controversial matchup. Kurai far outreaches you with his sword, and his SP2 allows him to escape any okizeme or combo reset. However, Assailant has plenty of tools to make Kurai's aggression become his undoing. Guardbreak, SP1 and SP5 are your gods. Guardbreak is a Super Armored anti-air for Kurai's infamous LC, SP1 can counterhit Kurai's high endlag, and SP5 can parry Kurai's far-reaching swings (provided that they actually hit) and turn them into an easy punish. You can also turtle with Block in order to bait out Kurai's Guardbreak for you to parry with SP5, but only if you anticipate it -- if you simply react to it, you will be too late. Kurai does have some critical weaknesses, but a smart Kurai is aware of them. Do not underestimate Kurai and confidently rush in - stay true to Assailant's playstyle and study Kurai, and determine if he is genuinely trying to attack you, or if he is trying to bait out the precious tools you need to survive. 'Virtue' See: Virtue One of your less fortunate matchups. Virtue is a pure Zoner, which means he has zero obligation to engage you in short-range combat. Typically, in a fight with Virtue, Assailant is forced to take the approach. Despite this, Assailant still has a chance. J.AC can harass Virtue into using his evasive moves (e.g. LC, SP6, etc), but will more importantly stack Assailant's Passive until Virtue's walkspeed is hilariously low. Assailant SP5 parries the beginning punch of Earth SP3, and Assailant SP1 can even counterhit Virtue while they are activating one of his elements (H.AC). The slower Virtue is, the less threatening he becomes. Thus, do not be discouraged by Virtue's attempts to overwhelm you with his projectiles and magic. You will simply have to overwhelm Virtue in your own way -- and with Assailant, that way is up close. Category:Class Guides